Method and apparatus for applying changes to a user interface

Abstract

An approach is provided for applying changes to a user interface. The window manager receives an input for specifying at least one change to one or more components of a first user interface. Next, the window manager determines respective execution states of one or more applications associated with the user interface. Then, the window manager determines to apply the at least one change to generate a second user interface while preserving the respective execution states.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving an input for specifying at least one change to one or more components of a first user interface;   determining to preserve respective execution states of one or more applications associated with the first user interface; and   determining to apply the at least one change to generate a second user interface for presenting the one or more applications based, at least in part, on the preserved respective execution states.   
     
     
         2 . A method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining to initiate a transition between the first user interface and the second user interface based, at least in part, on predetermined criteria, user input, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         3 . A method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining to maintain the first user interface and the second user interface concurrently.   
     
     
         4 . A method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining status information associated with the first user interface;   determining to restore at least a portion of the second user interface following application of the at least one change based, at least in part, on the status information.   
     
     
         5 . A method of  claim 4 , wherein the status information includes one or more identifiers of the one or more applications, location and dimensional information of displays associated with the one or more applications, and status information of the windows. 
     
     
         6 . A method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining to generate a notification to at least one of the one or more applications in response to the input for specifying the at least one change.   
     
     
         7 . A method of  claim 6 , wherein the notification alerts the at least one application to initiate an operation to modify the at least one application based on the at least one change. 
     
     
         8 . A method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining whether there is an update for one or more components,   wherein the at least one change is based, at least in part, on the update.   
     
     
         9 . A method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more components specify, at least in part, one or more characteristics for opening, closing, minimizing, maximizing, moving, resizing, navigating, or a combination thereof one or more outputs of the one or more applications. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,   the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,
 receive an input for specifying at least one change to one or more components of a first user interface; 
 determine to preserve respective execution states of one or more applications associated with the first user interface; and 
 determine to apply the at least one change to generate a second user interface for presenting the one or more applications based, at least in part, on the preserved respective execution states. 
   
     
     
         11 . An apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 determine to initiate a transition between the first user interface and the second user interface based, at least in part, on predetermined criteria, user input, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         12 . An apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 determine to maintain the first user interface and the second user interface concurrently.   
     
     
         13 . An apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 determine status information associated with the first user interface;   determine to restore at least a portion of the second user interface following application of the at least one change based, at least in part, on the status information.   
     
     
         14 . An apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the status information includes one or more identifiers of the one or more applications, location and dimensional information of displays associated with the one or more applications, and status information of the windows. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 determine to generate a notification to at least one of the one or more applications in response to the input for specifying the at least one change.   
     
     
         16 . An apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the notification alerts the at least one application to initiate an operation to modify the at least one application based on the at least one change. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
 determine whether there is an update for one or more components,   wherein the at least one change is based, at least in part, on the update.   
     
     
         18 . An apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the one or more components specify, at least in part, one or more characteristics for opening, closing, minimizing, maximizing, moving, resizing, navigating, or a combination thereof one or more outputs of the one or more applications. 
     
     
         19 . A computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:
 receiving an input for specifying at least one change to one or more components of a first user interface;   determining to preserve respective execution states of one or more applications associated with the user interface; and   determining to apply the at least one change to generate a second user interface for presenting the one or more applications based, at least in part, on the preserved respective execution states.   
     
     
         20 . A computer-readable storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:
 determining status information associated with the first user interface;   determining to restore at least a portion of the second user interface following application of the at least one change based, at least in part, on the status information.   
     
     
         21 .- 45 . (canceled)